Top Banana: La Course – Lizzie Deignan

Top Banana: La Course – Lizzie Deignan

Second place on the Izoard after many kilometres of domestique work: Deignan is the champion who can do it all

Racing

Lizzie Deignan can do many things, but she is not renowned for being a champion grimpeur in the high mountains.

So, before the start of La Course, a 67-kilometre race from Briançon to the Col d’Izoard, she talked of acting as a domestique for Boels-Dolmans team-mate and former Giro winner Megan Guarnier. 

A bluff? Seemingly not. Even during the race, she backed up those words with action, setting a searing pace on the early kilometres of the Izoard that burned opponents away.

Interview: Sunweb’s Coryn Rivera on her breakthrough season

Rather than swing over for the American, she kept on with the attrition till there was a select group of favourites – and no more Guarnier.

Deignan couldn’t respond to Annemiek van Vleuten’s winning move four kilometres from the finish, but she left Shara Gillow behind to finish second. Clearly, she didn’t recognise her own astonishing strength.

“I was really good today. I messed up by being a domestique and then a leader, I did too much work today. That’s my own fault for not having confidence in myself,” she told ITV4 after the race. 

Back yourself in the future, Lizzie. For a champion who proved she can do it all, here’s a Top Banana to replenish energy for the forthcoming La Course time-trial in Marseille.

The Rouleur Top Banana goes to an unsung hero of each stage of the Tour de France – not the winner, not the yellow jersey – but a rider whose efforts deserve recognition.

The post Top Banana: La Course – Lizzie Deignan appeared first on The world's finest cycling magazine.

Racing

READ MORE

The Dilemma: Should Primož Roglič give away the Giro d'Italia pink jersey?

The Dilemma: Should Primož Roglič give away the Giro d'Italia pink jersey?

The Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe rider will next be able to take time on his rivals during stage seven's mountain-top finish and stage nine's gravel. Does he...

Leer más
La Reina: Demi Vollering is exactly where she belongs

La Reina: Demi Vollering is exactly where she belongs

The Dutchwoman’s victory in La Vuelta España Femenina is a product of exemplary teamwork from FDJ-Suez

Leer más
Giro d'Italia 2025 stage three preview: A tough Albanian farewell

Giro d'Italia 2025 stage three preview: A tough Albanian farewell

A stage full of climbing will keep the GC contenders on their toes, but it could be a day for an escape group to grab...

Leer más
Geoffrey Bouchard , Giro d'Italia

The Giro's opening stage was as chaotic and stressful as the peloton had predicted

It's the first time that Albania has hosted top-level cycling, and most teams and riders had been unimpressed by the host country in the days...

Leer más
Mads Pedersen Giro d'Italia

Insatiable Mads Pedersen keeps Classics momentum going at Giro d'Italia: 'I'm hungry for more'

The former world champion credited his latest victory to the tireless work of his Lidl-Trek teammates. Continue in this manner, and the Dane could rack...

Leer más
Giro d'Italia 2025 stage two preview: Against the clock

Giro d'Italia 2025 stage two preview: Against the clock

The first individual time trial of the Giro presents an opportunity for early gains in the general classification 

Leer más

READ RIDE REPEAT

JOIN ROULEUR TODAY

Get closer to the sport than ever before.

Enjoy a digital subscription to Rouleur for just £4 per month and get access to our award-winning magazines.

SUBSCRIBE